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407 LONG-DISTANCE PATHS

Scotland SCOTLAND

SCOTLAND SCOTLAND Long-Distance Paths LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE

What Scotland lacks in its number of long-distance paths (LDPs), it certainly makes up for in their sheer quality and variety. The two paths described in detail in this chapter – the South- ern Upland Way and the West Highland Way – are second-to-none for challenging walking, supremely beautiful scenery and fascinating historical associations. Both are well waymarked and signposted, and have an adequate range of accommodation. They follow historic tracks and paths, old railway formations, forest tracks, river-side paths and minor roads.

The Southern Upland Way, threading across the uplands and glens of Dumfries & Gal- loway and the Borders regions, links Portpatrick on the west coast with Cockburnspath on the eastern shores. It takes you through small villages and towns, across wide-open, rolling moorland, through forests and woodlands and past some beautiful rivers and lochs.

The very popular West Highland Way follows a fairly direct route between Milngavie, on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, and the town of Fort William, 96 miles to the north. Along the way you travel from the agricultural lowlands of central Scotland into the rugged mountains and deep glens of the Highlands. The Way passes some famous land- marks, including Loch Lomond, wild and lonely Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe and Ben Nevis.

Among other long-distance routes, the Great Glen Way, between Fort William and In- verness, the capital of the Highlands, offers the opportunity to undertake a real Scottish odyssey, continuing on from the West Highland Way. St Cuthbert’s Way dangles an even more exciting temptation for long-distance enthusiasts, linking England’s mighty Pennine Way and the Southern Upland Way. All you need is time!

HIGHLIGHTS

Trekking right across the country from the west to the east coast along the challenging Southern Upland Way ( p408 ) Following in the footsteps of drovers, soldiers and other wayfarers along the magnificently scenic West Highland Way ( p418 ) SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS trails in England and Wales. Nevertheless, trails in England andWales. Nevertheless, Wayand most,ifnotall, national Highland far more proposition than theWest serious route’s lengthandremoteness, make ita more. factors, combinedwith the These heavily, especiallyondaysof 20milesor gear weighs flexibility butallthenecessary inbothiesgives orstaying moreCamping so youhave toanticipate somelongdays. with someunavoidably bigdailydistances. shorter daysare possible,thaninthewest amid more countryside,where open,settled forfinishingintheeast, however, be said, from thesideorhead-on.There ismuch to the persistent northwindwascomingeither the Waywasoriginallywalked forthis book, prevailing windisatyourback,butwhen thismeansthe to northeast.Itcouldbesaid The majority of peoplewalkfromsouthwest PLANNING woodlands. and through do linksomevery finepaths acrossthehills There’s some comfortinthefactthatthey feel shouldhave routes. noplaceonofficial notbusy)road,whichthough somewalkers long stretches (over (al- 2miles)onsealed roads tomuddyforest paths. There are some its eastern half. woodland andagriculturalland,mainlyon deciduous through Italsopasses tations. coniferand moorlandthrough plan- of thecountryside,roller-coasting over hills the Borders. acrossthegrain Theroute goes Dumfries&Gallowayandland, through traverses oneof the broadestpartsof Scot- ain’s first official coast-to-coastLDP, The Southern UplandWay(SUW), Brit- 408 THE SOUTHERNUPLANDWAY ing historicalsites. settled areas intheeast,passingmanyfascinat- through remote countryinthewestandmore route fromonesideofthecountrytoother, Summary Transport Finish Start Difficulty Distance Duration Accommodation issparse insome areas, The goingunderfootranges fromsealed SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay otarc (p410) Portpatrick Cockburnspath ( p410 ) 209.5miles(338km) 9 days moderate–demanding Anextremely challenging, very long bus, train a rm o Miles/km To Day From we suggest: remote western section. andexposed a change of plans, especiallyinthemore bad weather,likely atanytime,maydictate tock. Allowsomeflexibilityinyourplans,as SanquharandBeat- between central section when planninganitinerary,especiallyinthe amount of ascentisalsoasignificantfactor andnumberofwalking speed rest days.The doing abitattime),dependingonyour spread the journeyover anumberof years, or 10days,asmany14(somepeople while others maycharge, socheck first. to continuethewalk.Somedothisgratis, agreed spotandreturning youthenextday pickingyouupfroman cle back-upservice, always betrusted over themappedroute. from timetotime,sowaymarksshould route are changed (often forthebetter) of theapart alongminorroads.Sections across moorlandtomiles from line-of-sight waymarksvarywidely, between Distances ibility deteriorates stretches. ontheexposed vis- still carrymapsandacompassincase hexagon logoandsignposts,butyoushould tobecovered.track conditionordistance tive firmlyfixed –whatever theweather, day asitcomesbutstillkeeping theobjec- eachget mindframe;taking intotheright walkingexperience.Italsohelpsto distance andpreferablyyou start, tohave somelong- tobefitbeforeultimate day.It’sessential onthepen- theNorthSea of finallyseeing fellowmeeting walkers; andthesatisfaction tuned togradualchanges inthelandscape; of moving acrossthecountry;becomingat- the rewards are considerable:areal sense ers Lnfrau 25/40 30/48.5 18.5/30 Longformacus 28/45 Cockburnspath 21/34 St Longformacus Mary’s Loch Melrose 9 Melrose Beattock 25/40 Loch StMary’s 8 7 Beattock 6 Sanquhar 17.5/28 22/34 Sanquhar 5 22.5/36.5 StJohn’sTown StJohn’sTown Bargrennan 4 New Luce Bargrennan 3 New Luce 2 Portpatrick 1 of Dalry of Dalry The followingisthenine-dayitinerary The fullwalkmaytake asfew asnine Many hostsalongtheWayprovide avehi- The route iswaymarked withathistle- lonelyplanet.com n p415. and boxedin theRoute Highlight texts on p411 Two suggestions forshorter walksare given is includedineach day’swalkdescription. cess. Abriefnote ontransportconnections of thetrailusingpublictransportforac- major centres andtowalkshorter sections enable youtoreach theSUW frommany line withaconvenient These trainstation. andarailway which there are busservices, somemainroads,along The Waycrosses Alternatives lonelyplanet.com day’s walkbefore dark. hours make itimpossibletocomplete the known duringwinter whenshort daylight only, timefortheSUW. thebest,ifnot April andSeptember, sunshine –are likely anytimebetween Thick mistandstrongwinds–warm conditions duringacomplete crossing. You canexpectawiderange of weather When toWalk Snowfalls on higher groundareSnowfalls onhigher notun- from theOldEnglishforlamb. in shape. A the Bordersandis equivalentofaGaelic the LowlandScotsforravine;similar sounding ‘speckled the Gaelic dwelling); andfell, onceaNorseterm, isusedinafew placestomean‘mountain’. Dalry isfrom or ‘smalltownship’,inthiscaseoftheMurrayfamily. Balmurrie, thefarmnearNewLuce, hasanotherwidespread Gaelicelement– version ofthecommonGaelicprefix The name the king’. thelocationoffinelighthouse,includesAnglicisedKillantringan, tion, althoughitwasoriginally fromtheGaelic calledPortree, in thelanguagesofsettlersfromeast,ratherthanCeltic-Gaelic in thewest. spoken the namesare languagestillinuse,withorigins mainlyfromLallans(LowlandScots), adistinct the southwest,even IntheBorders,however, intheseparts. thoughGaelicisnowlittlespoken intheSouthernUplandsthey’re largely andislandstothenorth, confinedtoin theHighlands and canalsoreveal somethingofthelocalhistory.While Gaelic placenamesare commonplace the countryyouare goingtowalkthroughcanhelpgive aclearer picture ofwhatitwilllooklike, As youpore over themaps athome,thenamesofhills,rivers andotherlandscapefeatures of LAWS &CLEUCHS answer almost anyqueryyou cancomeupwith. is derived from meaning ‘hollow’).Further onyouclimbover Craig AirieFell –ahybridofGaelicand Norse. Craig Among themostcommonnamesforgeographical features is featureIn theeast,LammermuirHills prominentlyinthelatter stages;thenamecomes Scottish HillandMountain Names Laggangairn, thesite oftwoprehistoric cairnsbeyondBalmurrie,means‘hollowofthecairns’ atthebeginning oftheWay, Starting origin isobvious,givenPortpatrick’s theIrishconnec- breac dail righ, knowe (hill)’,while Fingland comesfromtheGaelic creag, is also a high sort ofplace(asmallhillock), whilea isalsoahighsort or ‘meadow of the king’. or‘meadowoftheking’. Benbrack, ahillbetweenDalryandSanquhar,isthe whichisGaelicfor‘cliff’or‘crag’; SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay byPeter guru,should Drummond, theScottishplace-names cill, meaning ‘church’ – in this case of St Ringan orNinian. meaning‘church’–inthiscaseofStRingan beinn Jedburgh) ranger service It isavailable fromthe annually updated accommodationlist). Southern UplandWay planningyourtripwiththefreeStart Information Sources also includesfullOSmapsof the route. the Southern UplandWay vidually. less thanhalfthatof buyingthemapsindi- length of theWay.Thecostof thepackis 1:50,000 mapscoveringLandranger thefull (OS) OrdnanceSurvey tracted from seven comes packaged mapsex- withseparate to themanyshortwalksnearWay.It of backgroundinformationandpointers by Roger Smithisinvaluable, withtons Guide The Southern UplandWayOfficial &Books Maps tory, archaeology andplacenamesof the the wildlife, trees andshrubs, geology, his- Scottish Bordersrangerservice heugh (mountainorhill), often isolated andconical àiridh isacliff. The name . Theycanalsoprovide leafletson fionn gleann, isGaelicfor‘shieling’(atemporary Scotland’s Coast toCoast Trail – cleuch

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LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS 26 ForbesRd,Edinburgh) .harbourhouse.co.uk; 53Main .harbourhouse.co.uk; walk description. mended among the village’s several B&Bs. mended amongthevillage’s several some with superbharbour views. attractiveThe hotel rooms, alsohasseveral ahead, washeddown withapintof real ale. generoussuitably proportionsforthemiles with luck,tositoutside andenjoyamealof 702595; HarbourSt; conveniently madethrough 10; less than1milefromtown. sitesfrom£10) www.gallowaypointholidaypark.co.uk; PointHolidayPark Galloway SLEEPING &EATING the dation. Contact is alarge townwithplentyof accommo- Stranraer, 8milesnortheastof Portpatrick, walkers preparing outontheWay. toset daysitlooksafter anglers,These sailors and was oncetheportforferries fromIreland. The peacefulharbourin Portpatrick village pop 585 Portpatrick TOWNS NEAREST Tracks Make Baggage Services ( Traveline ful foraccommodationandotherservices. site www.southernuplandway.com ishelp- .uk/southernuplandway. Thecommercial websiteable official atwww.dumgal.gov certificate. afree completion toobtain ranger services tooneof yourdetails the the Way,send tions of theWay.Whenyou’ve completed ontheeastern andwesternwalks based sec- area, andbookletsdescribingshort circular 410 notes. mapsandprinted service, up anddrop-off accommodation, luggage transfer, apick- of hasslebyorganising – almosteverything for fulldetails. .co.uk). Cres; s/d£30/52) % For tourist offices along the route, see the alongtheroute,For touristoffices see Harbour HouseHotel Carlton GuestHouse Carlton For publictransportinformationcontact Make sure youcheck theWay’sinvalu- h SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay 0845 2255121;www.visitscotland.com). Accommodationbookingsare most lunch &dinner)

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A77 toStranraerandonPortpatrick. trains MondaytoSaturday,twoSunday). from GlasgowtoStranraer(twohours, five ends only;and Berwick. miles fromEdinburgh and20milesfrom is35 inburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed, path islicensed. A1. AtleastthesmallshopinCockburns- afewGrantshouse, milessouthalongthe during thefirst day. range of thesortsof thingsyouwillneed east-coast railwayline,stopshere minutes, atleastthree daily),onthemain (45 three daily)andBerwick-upon-Tweed Edinburgh (1¼hours,between atleast Cove Farm; d£40) Chesterfield Caravan & Camping Site &Camping Caravan Chesterfield SLEEPING &EATING walkers –youhave warned. been from thecoast,withminimalfacilitiesfor Cockburnspath isatinyvillage justinland Cockburnspath Stagecoach Western THERE&AWAYGETTING the to coast fromPortpatrick Killantringan A delightful stretch of about 2miles along 8½–9 hours,22.5miles (36.5km),370mascent toNewLuce Day 1:Portpatrick THE WALK Perryman’s Buses THERE&AWAYGETTING sites for2£8) day toSaturday). Mon- Portpatrick (20minutes, sixservices of thecompany’sroutes linksStranraerto Monday toSaturday).Fromthere, another toStranraer(twohours, sixservices service connectingwithits hours, half-hourly), X77fromGlasgowtoAyr(1¼ bus service [email protected]; farms: couple of milesfromtown. 830459; By car,fromGlasgowfollowtheM77and The village, Ed- theA1between justoff Unfortunately thenearest pubisat There isasmallshop, which hasagood First ScotRail There are acoupleof B&Bsonnearby

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. operates ( % 01386- and the for 2£5,s/d£35/60,mainsto£17) more milesbehindyoubefore stoppingat nearby road.Ifyoufeel like puttingafew theWay,1milenorthalonga Luce isoff sion bridge over theWater of Luce. New way line,fromwhere it’sdowntoasuspen- route descends toafootbridge over arail- edge of acleared conifer The plantation. roundthe another minorroad,thenright soon leave thistofollowfarmtracks of theruinedcastletoaminorroad.You woodedgrounds thepleasant, you through grounds andeatatthehotel. roomorcampinthe acomfortable choose Castle Kennedy Castle you downpasttheoutskirtsof Stranraerto and short,sometimesmuddy,paths take From here, more minor roads,farmtracks pointwithfineviewsonaclearday. high leading inlandfromit. view andtheSUW joinstheminorroad comesdramaticallyintoThe lighthouse way fromtheshore top. backuptothecliff trust thethistlewaymarkers toshow the The route aheadisn’talwaysobvious but poor visibility)androundsceniccoves. impressive (take care, cliffs especiallyin bour. Fromhere itheadsnorthwestabove stairs atthenorthwestern endof thehar- good views. along minorroadsthrough farmland, with to the Way.Therest of the stage ismainly lighthouse at BlackHead start makes afine lonelyplanet.com From Castle KennedyFrom Castle drive takes asealed Minor roadsandfarmtracksleadtoa atthefootof ofThe Waystarts aflight commodation optionsare covered inthe mainwalkdescription. railway lineandyou canreach Ac- step Edinburgh fromBeattock. bybusfrom Moffat,ashort then a20-mile(32km) daytoBeattock. en route. strollof8miles(13km)toWanlockhead, The canbesplitintoashort second section places tostay.It’s27miles(43.5km)from DalrytoSanquhar,althoughthere Bothy isPolskeoch most ofthedistancealongforest andhilltracks. The onlydrawbackisthedistancebetween remains of oldleadmines. anold miningvillage,hasamuseumandextensive (725m).Wanlockhead, SUW, LowtherHill (515m)andthehighest pointontheentirepoints, includingBenbrack(580m),Glengaber Hill (called Dalry)andBeattock,closetoMoffat(Days45).The Waycrossesseveral relatively high with relatively stretches throughpineplantations, isbetweenStJohn’sTownofDalry short In thewestern oftheroute halfoftheSUWmostsustainedsection acrossopenmoorland, SOUTHERN UPLANDWAY –ROUTEHIGHLIGHT Dalry is well served bybusesfromAyrandDumfries, SanquharisontheCarlisle–GlasgowDalry iswellserved alongsealed roads,with oftheWayyou won’tspendtoomuchtimewalking On thissection PlantingsInn . Thevillage hasasmall

( % 01581-400633; campsites SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay where youcan shop fast £5) its adjacentcampingground Airie Fell Airie mapasitclimbsoveron theofficial the Wayfollowsadifferent route fromthat alarge cairn about theirhistory.Beyond gangairn standingstones theWayare the4000-year-oldBeside ing platforms;there isfresh water nearby. beehive-shaped road leadstoanopenarea withatimber, conifer Ashortstretch plantation. of forest a made forridingonhorseback) through lows awide,heatheryride(apathspecially around 15bigturbines.TheWaythenfol- Fell taken over hasbeen byawindfarmwith moorland;notfartotheeast,Artfield rough farm, fromwhere across theroute rises easier daythan those tocome. try, pineplantations andmoorland.It’san traverse almost-empty uplandfarming coun- The Waynowstarts tofeelremote asyou 6¾–7¼ hours,17.5miles(28km),340mascent toBargrennan Day 2:NewLuce ( Hotel Here you’llfindthefineold NEW LUCE road about1mileeastof NewLuce. Kilhernanddowntoaminor past deserted New Luce,continueacrossopenmoorland, Wednesday andFriday). Tuesday, raer (30minutes, oneservice % A limited bus service runby A limited busservice Follow very quietroadstoBalmurrie 01581-300345)

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LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS www.houseohill.co.uk; Bargrennan; s/d £9; hospitality. limited facilitiesbutnoshortage of warm of Glentrool, justwestof Loch Trool,offer Bargrennan andthenearbysmallvillage BARGRENNAN &GLENTROOL Fell and down toBargrennan. and GlenrutherLodge, over Glenvernoch Farm andfollowsminorroadspastKnowe view. TheWaythendescendspastDerry The Southern UplandWay 412 small shop. about 800mnorth alongtheroad,hasa .glentroolholidaypark.co.uk; Bargrennan; sites for 2£10) .glentroolholidaypark.co.uk; A77 Glentrool HolidayPark Historic h SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay A77 lunch &dinner) Killantringan Portpatrick Brodick The SouthernUplandWay START Arran To Belfast To Larne Isle of Stranraer House O’Hill Hotel House O’Hill Bute Rothesay

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LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS onward connections. at least12daily)onthecoast,withgood St;s/d£30/60, .com; Main [email protected]; day), where a MondaytoSatur- (1½ hours, twoservices Dalmellington companyalsoserves same Park Caravan View Castle SANQUHAR ( terhole Bridge. Friendly grazing land,pastArdoch Farm, toBut- to Benbrack (580m). country with somestiff climbs,includingup This isalong,challenging daythrough empty 10–10¾ hours,25miles(40km),900mascent Sanquhar Day 4:StJohn’sTownofDalryto 414 utes, six services MondaytoSaturday) utes, sixservices other route connectstoDumfries(35min- Monday toSaturday),where an- services Douglas (45minutes, three toCastle service go foraspotof luxuryandagoodmeal. .blackaddiehotel.co.uk; Blackaddie .blackaddiehotel.co.uk; 613500) path intoSanquhar(pronounced‘sanker’). you reach thebridge over theriver andthe into theRiver Nithvalley(Nithsdale) before view fromthetopbutthere’s alongdescent tracks.Sanquharcomesinto along rough offacrosstheridge tothenorth Way sets buildings atPolskeoch. spartan and downaforest road,passingtherather WalkpastAllan’sCairn into aplantation. then descendover acoupleof tops lesser brack Manquhill Hill(421m).Continueupto skirtingthesummitof plantations, through to Stroanpatrick,thenclimbsawideride grazinggroundcontinues acrossrough with transportfromtheWay).Theroute Glenhoul (thewardenmaybeabletohelp theSUW,1.5 milesfurtherwest,off at a warmwelcome. the Way. .com; TownHead;s/d % Clachan Inn From Dalry,theroute rough crosses MacEwan’s About 2milesalongaminorroad,the Blackaddie HouseHotel Blackaddie Mrs McDowall SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay 01644-460680; www.syha.org.uk; dm (580m)forexcellentpanoramicviews service continuestoAyr(50minutes, service Polskeoch Bothy Polskeoch

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Sun, dinnerWed-Sun) coach Western Monday toSaturday,twoSunday). trains toGlasgow(1¼hours, sixservices tion toCloffinBurn. theplanta- scent downbroad ridesthrough followedbyanequally longde- inevitably (507m), overlooking thereservoir. Thisis Knowe Brae,HodsHilland Beld Sweetshaw the longclimboverern suburbs)thentackle (drinkingwater forGlasgow’ssouth- ervoir SUW. CrossthewallholdingbackDaerres- Forest in awidevalley. alargeto theA702atOverfingland, farm uptoColdMoss,thendropsdown steeply The Waycontinuesover ground, thehigh land Hills(nearEdinburgh) tothenorth. est pointontheSUW, thePent- youcan see summit. Here, onagooddayatopthe high- radar equipment)inanenclosure onthe domes(containingthe surreal golf-ball crossing andrecrossing roadto thesealed a visit. sion £6; ( Inn Wanlockhead land. Here you’llfindacoupleof B&Bsand striking contrasttothebare, lonelymoor- plenty of industrialarchaeology, anda land. Itisanoldlead-miningvillage with Wanlockhead sharp descentonagoodtrackleadsinto valley.A theminasteep-sided between set cross, withCogshead,aruinedfarmhouse, away,thentwomorestraight bumpsto you’ll everputinonaBritish LDP. section inaday–probably the hardest day Many walkersdomanage tocomplete this est village inScotland, Wanlockhead (467m). Way –Lowther Hill (725m)–andthe high- way point of the Way,the highest point onthe This stage includes three highlights: the half- 10½–11½ hours,28miles(45km),1550mascent Day 5:SanquhartoBeattock £20) Dumfries (50minutes, five atleast daily). pampering. SUW continuesgenerally downhill,stillin of about 400mwestof sight, theWay. The % Just beyondtheA702,in From here the Wayclimbsto From Sanquharthere’s ashortclimb First ScotRail couldtempt youforabitof well-earned 01659-74387; www.leadminingmuseum.co.uk; admis- , youreach thehalfwaypointof the h Apr-Oct) , the highest village, thehighest inScot-

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anditstearoom are worth . The ( ( 01292-613500) % % 0845 7550033) 01659-74535; Brattleburn Bothy Museum of Lead Mining ofLeadMining Museum bus 246 goes to bus246goes lonelyplanet.com Watermeetings Watermeetings h Lowther Hill operates lunch Sat& isout Stage- , to £11; .craigielandsleisure.co.uk; grassy pitches close tothetowncentre.grassy pitches close grove; s/d£25/44) Site from theA74(M). lonelyplanet.com h ( 220580; Beattock;s/d CountryPark Craigielands BEATTOCK &MOFFAT to Beattock. Earshaig. Followthisdown road atEaster Garpol Water, reaching eventually aminor conifers,dense acrossalarge clearingand Stagecoach Western Mondayto Saturday,one Sun). services Edinburgh (twohours, andMoffat three club.co.uk; Hammerland’sFarm; sites for2£12) location. has huge, bedroomsinaquiet comfortable provides vehicle back-up.The A701 isvery busy,sotryforaplacethat accommodation andrestaurants butthe besidetheWay. ing, isright A701, nearthetourist office. signposted WoollenMill,off the Moffat absolutely deliciousdishes. Thehelpfulwaitersauce. willexplainthese inwhich eachbekistan), dishhasitsown cuisinefrom Samarkand(Uz- Khama Laziz rant; there’s ashopnearby. 1 milesouthof theWay,hasits ownrestau- % Berriedale HouseB&B Berriedale The Bombay Cuisine Moffat, justoverMoffat, 1mileaway,hasmore MacEwan’s MacEwan’s The CountryGuestHouse Barnhill Springs are given inthemainwalkdescription. somedetailsleithen (12miles/20km)ononenightandthenMelrose(18miles/28km)thenext; over 500mwithfine,wideviews. scenic. Between TraquairandYair,particularly on theRiver Tweed,theSUWcrossesseveral tops Mary’s LochandMelrose. The lochitself,fringedbywoodlandandoverlooked byhighhills,is good views,minimalpineplantationsandroads,plentyofopenmoorland–isbetweenSt more settled,agriculturalcountrybetweenthere andthecoast.The bestofthehillcountry – The eastern halfoftheSUWpassesthroughuplandsbetweenBeattockandMelrose, THE SOUTHERNUPLANDWAY –ROUTEHIGHLIGHT Mon-Sat Apr-Oct)

01683-220620; www.visitmoffat.co.uk; Churchgate; ( Moffat, closetoBeattock,andMelroseare bypublictransport. wellserved The walkcanbesplitintotwofairlyeasydays,stayingovernight atTraquairornearbyInner- % h Moffat Camping and Caravanning Club andCaravanning MoffatCamping Co-op supermarket Co-op 01683-220436; lunch &dinner) ( % , inalarge 19th-centuryvilla

is near thetownentrance isnear

01387-256533) £35/60) ( %

Beattock; sitesfor2£12)

( % www.campingandcaravanning 01683-220900; Main St;mains 01683-220900; Main specialises inunique specialises

, inahistoricbuild-

( 01292-613500) isnexttothewell- ( % % SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay 01683-220427; Beech 01683-300591; www bus100links tourist office tourist

( hasflat, runsa % , about 01683-

.tibbieshielsinn.com; also a modation andexcellent barmeals.There’s 1984, andoffers relatively luxuriousaccom- loch, wasthesceneof theWay’s openingin Hsoi Historic ST MARY’S LOCH ues downto Pikestonethen crosses Rigandcontin- footpath, which climbsupanarrowglen byblanketspromised of conifers. the valley,itsnaturalbeautysomewhatcom- Ettrick Water. Followthisfor6milesdown Bothy Phawhope Over aforestsoon meet roadthatleadsdownto hereGalloway andtheBorders. you Beyond Dumfries& (520m), theboundarybetween this dramaticcleftthenclimbsto Burn;thepathtraverses bySelcloth carved valley.Thisleadstothe up adeep onaforesttation roadandontoapath aplan- The Waythenwindsupthrough over Water. asmallhill,thenbesideMoffat motorway, acrosstheRiver Annan,upand Seas atNorth Ettrick Head. between streams flowingintothe Irish and Another toughday,crossing the watershed 9–9½ hours,21miles(33.5km),1200mascent Loch Day 6:BeattocktoStMary’s two Sunday). MondaytoSaturday, hours, three services (1½ GlasgowandMoffat between service the inn. Mary’s Loch. picks upaforest trackforthedescenttoSt Hilland The route thenturnsroundEarl’s nowabramble-coveredstone house ruin. Turn offat goundertheA74(M) From Beattock camp site Tibbie Shiel’sInn Riskinhope Hope Riskinhope Scabcleuch

s/d (sites for2 £6)

andaminorroadbeside £35/60, mainsto£10) alongasignposted

( % nearby, run by 01750-42231; www , aonce-solid Ettrick Head Ettrick , atthe gorge gorge 415

LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS tion and rises to tion andrises theplanta- tinues alongawideridethrough Eildon HillsnearMelrose. TheSUW con- panoramic view,includingthedistinctive forthe short detouriswellworththeeffort Moor Minch a laneclimbingsteadily intoaplantation. to andleft.Theturn-offskirted ontheright also provides goodviews.Thenexttopsare www.syha.org.uk; dm£13) First Edinburgh leithen, about1milenorthalongtheB709. old-schoolhouse.ndo.co.uk; s/d£30/56). inburgh bus to Friday),where youcanpickuptheEd- Monday Peebles (15minutes, dailyservice Traquairand between ternoon-only service Traquair Mill Bunkhouse Traquair Mill the junctionof theB709andB7062. the hamletof across heatheryBlake Muiranddownto spur toDouglasBurnthenit’supagain, try. Goodpaths andtracksclimbover a theroadandreturnscrosses toopencoun- cross Yarrow Water totheA708.TheWay a vehicle trackbesidetheloch; furtheron, ing Clubbuildingandfollowapaththen Melrose. of the climbingcomes between Traquair and (20km) fromSt Mary’s Loch. Around800m with anovernight stop at Traquair, 12miles This ultra-long daycouldbesplitintotwo, lashiels andariver-side walkintoMelrose. a relatively suburban interludearoundGa- land toTraquair, then forest, heather moor, Plenty of –lochs, variety hills andopenmoor- 12–13 hours,30miles(48.5km),1120mascent LochtoMelrose Day 7:StMary’s 416 Mary’s Loch Saturday JulyandAugust)St services (30minutes, viaMoffat two bie andSelkirk Locker- between ates asummer-only service h and the place torelax andunwindover adrink. of Jedburgh links InnerleithenwithEdinburgh. Turning yourbackonTraquair, follow Nearby There’s more accommodation inInner- Accommodation inthevillage includes From theinn,passinfrontof theSail- Houston’s Minibuses Broadmeadows SYHAHostel breakfast &lunchdaily,dinnerSat) SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay SchoolHouse GlenCafe (567m) rises on the right andthe ontheright (567m)rises

( . % .

Traquair ( % 01835-862253) Brown Knowe 08708 727271)

( % , Scotland’s first youth

in the Tweed valley,at intheTweed

( ( ( % % % 01750-42241; mainsto£15; 01576-203874) 01896-830515; dm£13) 01896-830506; operates anaf-

( bus service 62 busservice (523m), which isalsoagreat % 01750-725506; Munro’s Munro’s oper-

http://

cleuch St;mainsto£17; www.caravanclub.co.uk; come tothis19th-centurytownhouse. facilitiesandafriendlywel- high-standard .syha.org.uk; dm Priorwood; borders.com; AbbeyHouse,St; tourist office tourist tiful 12th-centuryCistercian abbey.The Attractive Melrose isdominated byabeau- pop 1656 MELROSE to Melrose. bedof theoldWaverleythe sealed railway the busyA7andfollowriver-side paths and suburban streets, skirtingGalaHill.Cross vious route parklandsandalong through Galashiels. TheWayfollowsaratherde- ous stiles,towoodlandontheoutskirtsof and godownacrossfields,crossingnumer- and abridge over theRiver Tweed. as the tinguished bythree massive cairnsknown 5 milesaway. note that the nearest shopsare inSelkirk, south. Ifyou’re here, consideringstaying hostel, issignposted; itis1mileorsotothe traverses between Allan Water alongridge Essentially thebe verymuddy inparts. route and farm tracks, andacross which fields, can mainly agricultural land,along minorroads of today’swalkisthroughThe first part 9½–10 hours,25miles(40km),900mascent toLongformacus Day 8:Melrose day, sixSunday) Monday toSatur- (2¼ hours, services eight route Edinburgh andMelrose 62between woodmelrose.co.uk; Buccleuch a few St. pubsinHigh dishes dorepresent goodvalue. expensive, butthesubstantial seem might Abbey. Georgian mansionoverlooking Melrose posite theabbey. excellent facilities. to thetowncentre, hasafew tent sites and Marmion’s Restaurant Marmion’s You thenclimbover afairlybroadridge The route continuesuptoasummitdis- First Edinburgh First Edinburgh There are Braidwood B&B Gibson Park Caravan ClubSite Gibson Park Caravan Melrose SYHAHostel Melrose Three Brethren Three Co-op ( % . 0870 6080404;www.visitscottish

and (

% ( High St;sitesfor2£18) High % . Thenit’sdowntoYair

h £14; 08708 727271)

Spar 01896-822488; www.braid (

% lunch &dinnerMon-Sat) ( i St; s/d£35/56) % supermarkets 0870 0041141;www

) h 01896-822245; Buc-

occupiesafine lonelyplanet.com ( % Apr-Oct) 01896-822969; runsbus offers offers , close , close isop-

and

From here valleyis spread theTweed out each withasheltered facingsoutheast. seat topped withtwo giantcylindricalcairns, pointof to the high right for stock,tothe ridge crest. It thenturns ing buttsandoldtinshedsproviding shelter the vast,emptymoors, dotted withshoot- on12August.Thetrack climbsacross starts which always shootingseason, the grouse onto thetussockymoor),especially during the track(andthere’s noincentive tostray moor. grouse Estate to keep to It’sessential on toBraidshawrig, partof theBurncastle Water bridge. on asubstantial Continue Blythe across opengrasslandthencrosses TheWaythenwanderstation. upanddown Walls Farm andsteeply uptoasmallplan- thecuriouslynamedWanton up through visitors). Cross theA697andfollowalane .com; sitesfor2£6) of nearbyB&Bs,of which golf course. skirtsthelocal descentintoLauder steep very inquisitive butnotaggressive. The fields occupiedbygrazingcows–they’re Hill Kedslie pointaroundflat-topped from thehighest Thereheight. are fineviewsonagoodday the river thenheadsnorth,steadily gaining backupbeside riages’ only.TheWaygoes sion bridge car- forpedestriansand‘light this timebya19th-centurychain suspen- of Longformacus. Lammermuir Hills anddowntothe hamlet stretch, across extensive grousemoors inthe Tweed. FromLauderthere’s averydifferent and Leader Water, tributaries of the River lonelyplanet.com ( the groundsof MondaytoSaturday,five Sunday). services toEdinburgh (1¼hours, 12 from Lauder Camp Site Camp recommended. of theWaybesideA697,isparticularly Jedburgh Jedburgh burnspath, attheendof theWay. beforelate andotherwalkingstaples Cock- place where youcanstockuponchoco- isthelast which isjust aswellsinceLauder supermarket, andthe street you’llfindanexcellentbaker, asmall main InLauder’s Castle. did Thirlestane % hasthree hotels andacoupleLauder From Melrose crossthe River Tweed, From Lauder theWayweaves through From Lauder 01578-722216; s/d£40/60)

( ( % % . The route passes through several several through . Theroute passes 01835-862253) 01578-718884; thirlestanepark@btconnect issuperblysited nearsplen- Thirlestane Castle Caravan & Caravan Castle Thirlestane Thirlestane Castle Castle Thirlestane , about1.5mileseast buses cantake buses you Flat Cat CoffeeShop Flat Cat SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS ••TheSouthernUplandWay Twin Law Thirlestane FarmThirlestane (open to Munro’s of Munro’s (447m), , Restaurant for awhilethenturnsnorth;the Water. TheWayfollowstheWhiteadder Water just belowwhere itjoinsMonynut .co.uk; s/d£35/60,3-coursedinner£15) Sep) (pronounced ‘longformaycus’). evening meals. evening hamlet of mixedadder valleythrough woodlandtothe here theroute White- followssteep-sided anddowntotheB6355road.From tations climb over moorland,pastsomesmallplan- of Longformacus,theWaybranches to off in the of village Cockburnspath. you have toleave the coast to officially finish cliff-topwoodland lead toafine walk,but Paths andtracks through farmland and 7–8 hours,18.5miles(30km),450mascent toCockburnspath Day 9:Longformacus you shouldfindasmall road.Iftheweatherisfine and asealed voir iseasy–agoodtrackleadstoScarlaw The descenttowardsWatch Water Reser- atlast. before isinsight you andthesea Congratulations! you really have walked fromPortpatrick. It takes awhileforrealisation tosinkinthat endofjust ‘co-path’),the official theWay. burnspath line, tothemercat(market) crossat Turn inland,undertheA1and railway colourful Cove Harbour, tucked below. with impressive scenery,alongto coastal atPortpatrick, isblessed mirroring thestart walk, road above thebay. Thefinalcliff-top HolidayHomeParkBay and walkupthe native woodlandregeneration project. thesitePease of a DeanWildlife Reserve, you downtotheA1107,beyondwhich is and theFirthof of Forth.A flight steps takes to avery rewarding route thewood,fortunately climbs through cruelatthisstage butthe Wood. Itseems greento apleasant trackintoPenmanshiel theA1andrailway old roadbetween to thebusyA1;crosswithcare. Followan backtothehills.Thenit’sdown last glimpse a minorroadatBlackburn youcancatch a crossing somefieldsintheprocess.From across theriver. Followpaths andlanes, Whinmore B&B Whinmore After about 1milealong aminorroadeast Skirt the serried ranksofSkirt theserried vansinPease here . Continuedownto Longformacus (pronounced‘coburns-path’ or

Abbey StBathan ( % 01361-840312;

( % 01361-890669; junren26@tiscali view . CrossWhiteadder of the North Sea of theNorthSea tearoom h Tue-Sun) alsooffers

( h Riverside Riverside isjust

Easter- Cock-

417

LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS quickly, which it’s quite likely todo. The and drink. Theweathercan turnbadalltoo with goodboots, maps,acompass,food tobeproperlyequipped William. Youneed days toreachand take sixor seven Fort inthesouth, atMilngavie,most peoplestart reasons, days orrathershortdays.Forthese means youwilleitherhave some very long remote, andthelocationof accommodation of Bridge of Orchy, it’squite strenuous and wardennan. After that,particularlynorth The walkisfairlyeasygoingasfar asRo- PLANNING signposts andthethistle-hexagonlogo. railwaylines.It’smarkedand disused with control theJacobites inthe18thcentury) road(builtbytroopstohelp old military (along which cattlewere onceherded),an bination of ancientways,olddrove roads route acom- iswellsignposted anduses The Nevis! two-and-a-half ascentsof Ben oftotal 3543m(11,624ft), theequivalentof the timeyoufinish youwillhave climbeda toreachular GlenNevis FortWilliam.By spectac- through Moorandpasses Rannoch wild Lomond and,inthefarnorth,crosses ItrunsalongthelengthofHighlands. Loch lochstains, andfast-flowing rivers of the greater partof thiswalkisamongthemoun- gow’s citycentre, inthelowlands,but nounced ‘mullguy’),7milesnorthof Glas- popular pathinBritain. ofsections theroute; itisthemost officially, moreyear, andmanythousands complete is walked byaround15,000peopleevery Thefullroute of mountain. base itshighest outskirts of Scotland’slargest citytothe The Wayextends from the West Highland 418 THE WESTHIGHLANDWAY Nevis, Britain’shighestmountain. from suburbanGlasgowtothefootofBen through someofScotland’sfinestlandscapes, Summary Transport Nearest Town Finish Start Difficulty Distance Duration The walk starts fromMilngavieThe walkstarts (pro- SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland Fort William( Fort p362 ) 95miles(153km) 7 days moderate Britain’smostpopularLDPpasses bus, train Glasgow ( opposite ) Milngavie ( Milngavie p420 ) ilclvn otWlim 14/22.5 Fort William Kinlochleven HouseHotel Kings 7 6 722199) avoided AugustandOctober. between detours from thetrackshould generally be but stalking, isunaffected by deer itself Ben Lomond( Ben p347 ). ( Nevis Ben p360 ), andperhaps another for Hotel.lunch atKingsHouse possiblystoppingforon thefifthnight, in Bridge of Orchy andreach Kinlochleven inCrianlarich, third night thefourthnight on p420 . day walksalongtheroute intheboxed text Way, weoffer somesuggestions forthebest 13/21 to walkadayortwoof theWest Highland If yourtimeislimited andyoujustwant K Alternatives 14/22.5 12/19.5 14/22.5 Tyndrum Rowardennan Miles/km Tyndrum Inverarnan Inverarnan 5 Drymen Rowardennan 4 Drymen 3 To Milngavie 2 1 Day From each dayare as follows: the mostconvenient andend placestostart them. know howtouse you shouldcarryamapandcompass areas,exposed canreach galeforce. glens,andonthemorenarrow mountain area rainfall,andwindsinthe hasahigh up, but contact the up, butcontact time. Diversionsals aroundthesame are set fortheannualScottish motorcycletri- used Bridge of Orchy and FortWilliamisoften early May, the between and thesection forlambingduringlate Apriland closed beautiful. The maybe Conic Hillsection ber andearlyOctobercanbeparticularly midges becomereally active, whileSeptem- May isthemostpopularmonth,before the reduced accommodation duringwinter. snow orsnowfallsover ground,and higher hours,the shortdaylight theprobability of totake accountof youwouldneed although The Waycanbewalked atanytimeof year, When toWalk Many peopleaddadayforanascentof To dothewalkinsixdays,spend walk,asdescribedhere,For aseven-day therouteAlthough isfullywaymarked, forfurtherinformation. TheWay Knohee 9/14.5 Kinlochleven ranger service ings HouseHot lonelyplanet.com el 1

( % 9/30.5 01389- lots of additionalpractical information. Footprint map Highland Way cellent Harvey 1:40,000Route map designed all-in-oneroute map.Theex- ple prefer theconvenience of apurpose- very linemaps. detailed text Loram,withthorough by Charlie and Also recommended is the Harvey Route mapinaplasticwallet. Bob Aitken andRoger Smithcomeswith 345 Etive mond &Inveraray, 1:50,000 mapsNo64 The Wayiscovered byOSLandranger &Books Maps lonelyplanet.com able fromthe dation andfacilitiesalongtheWay, isavail- Companion, WestThe Official Highland WayPocket Information Sources next morningforasmallcharge. youand drivesomeone tomeet youback notdirectlythose ontheroute, willsend you askonarrival.SomeB&Bs,particularly cilities (nofires allowed). backpackerone-night-only sites withoutfa- tent andabothy. There are free, alsoseveral a between offer wigwams–ahalfwayhouse Some inbetween. our itineraryandseveral overnight Hotel) in stops(King’sHouse are camping groundsatallbutoneof the land Wayonlyindesignated areas. There they are free andalwaysopen. at Rowchoish andDoune,bothonDay3; more basicareWilliam. Rather thebothies Bridge of Orchy, Kinlochleven andFort atTyndrum, andbunkhouses Glen Nevis, the walk,atRowardennan,Crianlarich and must bookallaccommodationinadvance. fromMaythe peakseason, toAugust, you Bridge of Orchy andKinlochleven. During it’squiteto find,although limited between Accommodation shouldnotbetoodifficult Accommodation all the basic information you should need all thebasic informationyou should need Park headquarters. Thewebsite contains Loch Lomond&theTrossachs National The official guide The official Most B&Bsprovide packed lunches if ispermitted ontheWestHigh- Camping There are three SYHA hostels onornear

4978; www.west-highland-way.co.uk; Balloch) and41 afree bookletlistingaccommo- Ben Nevis, West Highland Wayoffice West Highland andthecheap andcheerful West Highland Way 50 West Highland Way Glasgow, West Highland Way although mostpeo- although Glen Orchy &Loch SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland 56 Loch Lo- include

( % atthe West 0845 by

street, stockthefullrange of equipment. .craigdenmuir.co.uk; Stepps;sitesfor2£12) .com; 261SauchiehallSt; caravans. miles north;italsohaschalets andstatic est campinggroundtothecity, about 4 Highland it stocksmaps,booksand rooms are ensuite. commodation in ahistoricbuilding;all and plentyof backgroundinformation. record and willprovide directions detailed VisitScotland SLEEPING &EATING h ( the Way.The through Glasgow enroute of tothestart It wouldbehardtoavoid atleastpassing pop 629,600 Glasgow TOWNS NEAREST which youpass. tion about theWayandplacesthrough will provide youwithsheafsof informa- is walk!Someoutfitsgoastep furtherand overnighttween stops.Allyou’llhave todo commodation andcarryyourluggage be- by companiesthatwillarrange allyourac- offered not take of advantage theservices thandoingalltheorganising, why Rather Baggage Services should beavailable asadownload. to get started,andthe modation andbaggage transfer. has years of experienceorganising accom- hotmail.com; 194Renfrew .com) Sq) www.seeglasgow.com; 11George Rd, .com; 5Dunkeld Haypark BusinessCentre, .com) ings made through itcost anextra£3. ings madethrough tongue-twisting, shopping street, and .syha.org.uk; 8Park Tce;dm % Both Glasgow SYHAHostel Old School House Sherpa Van Easyways Transcotland Craigdenmuir Park daily) 0141-248 4877;[email protected]; 129BuchananSt; can handle bookings, though allbook- canhandlebookings,though alsooffers baggage transfer. , in a rather upmarket pedestrianised , inaratherupmarket pedestrianised Nevisport

Way Companion

( % (

%

(

( Aberfeldy) % % tourist office tourist 01324-714132; www.easyways.com; ( 0845 2255121; % h

0871 5200124;www.sherpavan

01887-820848; www.transcotland Marchmont Ave,Marchmont Polmont,Falkirk) ( %

0141-332 4814;www.nevisport daily) St; s/d£40/60)

( £16) % alsohasagoodtrack ( 0141-332 7600; oschoolh@ % Pocket Companion , in Glasgow’s busy, , inGlasgow’sbusy, offers quality ac- 0141-779 4159;www The Official WestThe Official 0870 0041119;www

. isvery helpful; ( %

www.visitscotland 0141-204 4400; istheclos- isasmall Tiso’s 419

LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS express.com) with auniquelyScottish flavour. the hills.Themenufeatures traditionalfare, removed fromanybothyyouvisited outin located shop. dinner mains£8/12; Glasgow (1½hours, 15minutes) every .co.uk) station (8¾hours,station three daily) Victoria andGlasgow’sBuchanan Stbus Glasgow. tion. Thenearest touristofficeisincentral restaurants andafairrange of accommoda- gow, sothere’s noshortage of shopsand Milngavie isabustlingouter suburbof Glas- pop 14,000 Milngavie .co.uk) National Express THERE&AWAYGETTING (36-38 ArgyleSt; cellent valueformoney. villa,stylishlydecorateddetached andex- 420 Central (5¾hours, atleast15daily) Central ley (50minutes, half-hourly). StandEdinburgh Waver-Glasgow Queen .co.uk) stuff you might have youmight forgotten.stuff stocksmuch of100m fromthestart, the First ScotRail Scottish Citylink Trains Virgin Bothy The supplies,the For self-catering Inverarnan are William busservice. request stopsonthe CitylinkGlasgow–Fort on thewestern youacross thewater sideoftheloch,willtake toInversnaid. BothInveruglas and ( Allowaboutninehoursforthewalk. only becarryingadaypack. for thedayaddsuptoafairlylengthy 19miles(30.5km).Paths are goodall thewayandyou’ll It isquite possibletocomplete inasingleday,althoughthetotaldistance thesetwosections stretch (inouropinion)isbetweenAltnafeadh, HouseHotel, notfarfromKings andGlenNevis. Wayratherthan tacklingthefulldistance,bestIf youwanttosampletheWestHighland THE WESTHIGHLANDWAY –ROUTEHIGHLIGHTS and can be easily completed as a day walk. Apassenger and canbeeasilycompleted asadaywalk. several waterfalls. The fromInversnaid spectacular section to Inverarnan covers 7miles(11km) William(see toFort Country Busesservice advantageoftheHighland take p363 ). if youaskwhenboardthebus. At theendofdayyoucaneither stayatGlenNevisor % SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland bus service 900 links Edinburgh and 900linksEdinburgh and busservice linkLondonEustonandGlasgow Start at the Altnafeadh car park on the A82, 3 miles northwest of Kings HouseHotel. ofKings atthe Altnafeadh carparkontheA82,3milesnorthwest Start Another highlight of the route is walking alongthewoodedshoresAnother highlightoftheroute ofLochLomond,passing iswalking trains shuttle back and forth between trains shuttlebackandforthbetween 0870 5505050) IronChief

( % runscoaches London between 0141-334 4040;11RuthvenLane;lunch/ h

( (

h

% % ( (

daily) % % ( buses from Glasgow and Fort Williambothpasshere andthedriver busesfromGlasgowandFort willstop % lunch &dinner) 0845 7550033;www.firstscotrail 08457 222333;www.virgintrains 0141-956 4597; 5 Mugdock Rd) 0141-956 4597;5Mugdock 0870 5805850;www.national isthemostcentrally 0870 5505050;www.citylink is light years islight . Tesco Metro . . ,

ntlworld.com; 96Strathblane art St;lunchmains£4-7, art 1733; mains £10-13; its extensive menu. Italian the heartof things,offers goodvaluefrom to the train station, off Station Rd. offStation to thetrainstation, A82 thentheA81.There isacarparkclose car, take theM8and,atexit17,follow Milngavie (25minutes, half-hourly). terminates atice fromGlasgowCentral A THERE&AWAYGETTING Site Farm &Caravan Camping Bankell SLEEPING &EATING 332 6811;www.spt.co.uk) next tothetrainstation. giving cakes. an espresso fixandoneof Primo’senergy- thedaywith genuine cuisine;start Italian the trainstation. Edwardian home,isonlyfive minutes from West Highland Way. West Highland is onlyafew of minutes fromthestart the for £2aday. your carhere whileyou’re doingthewalk east of Milngavie, off theA81.Youcanleave is asmall,sheltered site 1mileorsonorth- & dinner; [email protected]; 1 Primo Restaurant Primo Milngavie is7milesnorthof Glasgow. By Toscana Bistro For supplies,there’s a Laurel BankB&B Laurel Best FootForwardB&B Strathclyde Passenger Transport Strathclyde Passenger Transport

www.bankellfarm.co.uk; StrathblaneRd;sitesfor2£8) www.bankellfarm.co.uk; ferry i

( ) h % isallcontemporary styleand

dinner Dougalston Gardens South;s/d£35/56) Dougalston Gardens 01877-386223)

( %

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% ( Thu-Sat) suburbantrainserv- 0141-956 4020;44StationRd; dinner mains£8-15; %

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Oct) Mugdock Wood Mugdock thetreesthrough tojoingoodpaths through Allander Water andfollowthestream building indicates aturnupstream; cross reach point. starting theofficial ashoppingprecinctSt, passingthrough to at theexitof theunderpasstojoinDouglas centrepedestrianised left of Milngavie. Bear ofunderpass andupaflight steps tothe the gothrough obelisk fromthestation, at Milngavie Toreach trainstation. the but formostpeoplethejourneybegins over theAllanderWater onDouglasSt, Way isagranite obeliskbesidethebridge lunchto bring with you. convenient foodstop; otherwise you’llneed The Beech TreeInnat Dumgoyneisthe only there’s acoupleof miles alongaquiet road. track, which can bemuddyifit’swet, then 3 miles the path runsalonga disused railway rolling countryside andfarmland. Forabout dayprovidesThe first easy walking through 4½–5½ hours,12miles(19.5km) toDrymen Day 1:Milngavie THE WALK lonelyplanet.com and cross theA811toenter thevillage. going to Drymen, continue alongtheroad Ifyou’reroad andfollowsa pathtotheright. just pastasharpleft bend,theWayleaves the its first appearance. £33/50, dinner£16) hassle Farm; sitesfor2£10,wigwam£14,B&Bs/d ( pass thepathto railwaytrack.After about800myou used Dumgoyach Bridge theroute joinsadis- justbeforeto yourright thehill.Beyond look outforBronzeAge stones standing Asto theright. youskirtDumgoyach Hill for about300mtoastilegivingontopath B821. Turnleftalongtheroadandfollowit past acollectionof holidayhomestothe succession of paths andatrack take you mile beyondGartnessis most of thewaytoedge of Drymen.One Gartness, fromwhere youfollowaroad commodation, shopsandpubs. theroutethere’smiles off totheright, ac- food allday.Inthevillage of Killearn, 1.5 Inn Tree % From theobeliskasmallsignonnearby of start The official theWestHighland Pass aquarry andcontinuealongtheroad; Continue alongtheoldrailwaytrackto ; 800mfurtheronyoureach the 01360-660893; [email protected];EasterDrumqu- at Dumgoyne, apubthatserves . Fromtheendof thewood,a , where Loch Lomondmakes Glengoyne Distillery Drymen Camping SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland

( h Beech Apr-

hotmail.com; BuchananCastle;s/d about accommodation. canhelpwithbasic information library staff a relatively atothertimesthe shortseason; heartlands.com; Library,TheGreen; heartlands.com; the Highlands. mark for walkers; from here on,you’re in Conic Hillisaboundary pointandaland- wonderful panorama over Loch Lomond. worth theshort detour tothetopfor of thesummitof moorland. Thewidepathcontours north thetrees,through over astileandontoopen When toWalk, (see ing season p409 ). duringthe lamb- when ConicHillisclosed pub. Thispathprovides thealternative route there are acoupleof B&Bsbutnoshop or the roadintoMiltonof Buchanan, where from Drymen,apathtotheleftleads Near theendof thetrees, justover anhour is awildcampsite here withnofacilities). woodstoGaradhbanthe dense Forest (there a forest track. Itgraduallyclimbsthrough thenveersfor ashort distance lefttopickup side Drymen,theWayfollowsroadeast hours fromDrymen. for foodsupplies isBalmaha, aroundthree the banksof Loch Lomond.Theonlyplace and ismostly alongundulating paths and fromthe climbupConicHillapart (358m), Walking onthe seconddayisstill easy going, 5–6½ hours,14miles(22.5km) Day 2:DrymentoRowardennan The pop 681 DRYMEN and thesmaller small roomsare furnished. pleasantly and vegetarians doquite well.Therather on themenuare enlivened withspicysauces, dishes land’s oldestinn.Themostlystandard Rd; available. isalso andapick-upservice is fantastic, road, it’sbeautifullydecorated. Breakfast B&B.standing Wellawayfromthemain and outdoorgear. mains £8-12; It’s Great Outdoors It’s Great For mostof theyearWaycontinues From where theA811justout- itmeets For supplies,there’s a The Shadows Green h tourist office tourist daily) ClachanInn h stocks gas lunch & (

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( 0870 7200611;www.visitscottish

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LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND A82 A830 SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS The Way West Highland 422 (15mi) To Oban To Mallaig(45mi) Loch Linnhe The WestHighlandWay B UTE A82 Ballachulish SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland Fort William Chaorainn Inverary Loch Awe Etive Loch Loch FINISH Blar a'

Loch Leven Nevis Glen A85 Fyn Inverness (66mi)

A83 Glencoe River To

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Firth the Trossachs of Nevis of

The Cobbler Kinlochleven

DAY 7 of Loch Long River Cl (1022m) Stob Dearg Wemyss Bay

yde (881m) Devil's Staircase Greenock Stob Choire Inveroran Bà Bridge Claurigh Helensburgh (1177m)

Orchy Altnafeadh Rannoch A82 H IGLAND (1116m) Easain Stob Coire Hotel Moor Inverarnan Arrochar DAY 4 Inveruglas Hotel Kings House Blackwater A82 DAY 6 Ferry Reservoir Tulla Loch Ardlui A8 Treig Loch Ferry Inverbeg Glasgow Port

Glen Falloch of Orchy Bridge Loch Lomond (164m) Cnap Mór Bà (1074m) Beinn Dòrain Tyndrum Loch Ardleish Inversnaid DAY 5 Ossian Loch Arklet Loch

Critreach Loch Laidon Lomond Corrour (974m) Ben Lomond Crianlarich Station Loch Rowardennan Balloch DAY 3 Balmaha M8 A82 Dumbarton Loch Lyon Conic Hill Katrine (358m) Loch Lomond& Station Rannoch A85 Loch National Park Eigheach the Trossachs Loch (1165m) Ben More Queen Elizabeth Forest Park Loch an Clydebank Daimh Dumgoyne 12miles 20km 0 0 Buchanan Drymen Milton of Milngavie DAY 2 Loch Ericht Lochearnhead Gartness Killin Killearn Glasgow A81 START Vennachar A811 Loch P ERTHSI A81 & KINROS A9 Kirkintilloch S TIRLNG Rannoch

Loch Forth lonelyplanet.com Loch Earn Callander To Stirling(4mi) A80 A84 Kilsyth To Edinburgh Doune A85 (37mi) Loch Tay .co.uk; sitesfor2£14) mond starts nearby( mond starts p347 ). Rowardennan ( p348 Lo- ). ThepathtoBen returns totheloch sideandleadsonto of Scotland’sfinestnaturalwoodlands,then Wood theWayclimbsthrough chy House, Camping road you’llfindthepopular for about1mile. Justafter youjointhe a darkforest andemerges tofollowtheroad about 800mfurtheron,theWaydives into and smallshoponsite. FromCritreoch, Park Centre Balmaha .co.uk; dm/s/d£25/50/70,mains£7-14) lonelyplanet.com snaid, shortly before which thepath crosses From here thegoing improves to Inver- for astretch walkingtoCailness. of difficult becomes apaththat dives downtotheloch 400m beyondthe bothy,theforestry track choish Bothy broadleaf trees. The hillsideswillbereplanted withnative versions, which willbe clearlyindicated. extraction inthearea mayrequire pathdi- the hillside. Ongoinglarge-scale timber upwalking andfollowsthetrackhigher routeThe official provides much easier andnotrecommended.line, butit’srough path branches leftandfollowstheshore- LodgeJust pastPtarmigan analternative faced roadthatrunsparalleltotheloch. Hotel, 7miles beyondRowardennan. food alongthe wayisthe large Inversnaid tion downbythe loch. Theonlyplacefor Commission track, followedbya6-milesec- Today’s walkbegins with 4miles of Forestry 6–7½ hours,14miles(22.5km) Day 3:RowardennantoInverarnan for 2£12) ClubSite &Caravanning Bay Camping hour youreach Milarrochy and Wayin1980.Inlessthanan West Highland marker commemoratingtheopeningof the There’s a accommodation; barmealsare available. hotel rooms andmore-simple bunkhouse Oak Tree Inn Oak Tree 243 3331; The path dips through aconiferThe pathdipsthrough woodto From bothroutes youcanreach From Rowardennanfollowtheunsur- Continue besidetheloch shore, passinga , itsmagnificentoaksmakingitone , which hasakitchen, dryingroom

and the loch itself, nearthe andtheloch itself, www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk; sites Site shop

( , asimplestoneshelter. About %

( ( % % in thevillage. 01389-722100; . OnemilebeyondSallo- 01360-870234; www.forestholidays 01360-870357; www.oak-tree-inn h SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland Cashel Caravan & Caravan Cashel Easter-Oct) offers good Milarrochy Milarrochy

( National % . The Row- Ross 0870

music. with thepossibleaddedattraction of live line intraditionalScottishdishes,thelatter B&B d£60,mains£6-10) 386223) impressive after heavy sight rain. Falls Just upstream isthespectacular Burn heraldsyourarrivalatInverarnan. Glen Falloch; afootbridge over Glas Ben over Loch Lomond.Thepathdescendsinto andsouthnorth towardstheHighlands there are goodviewsonaclearday,both climb toacolonthehillof to bytheferrya landingstage used crossing 1 milebeyondthebothy,atArdleish,there’s Further onissimple theboxedthere’s (see text, littletosee p424 ). to close Way passes ance andagility.Onemileorsointothis,the boulders andtree roots,agoodtest of bal- snaid thepathtwistsandturnsaroundlarge along theA82. where youcouldconnectwithbusservices Inversnaid between andInveruglas, service October thehotel runsatwice-dailyferry of thetoughest all.FromMarchsection, to refreshments before thenext youtackle Ardlui; campssitesfor2£10,s/d£45/60) Tyndrum. each way),there’s nowhere tobuyfooduntil detour (20minutes downtoCrianlarich road andrailway line.Unless you makea you’realsocloseUnfortunately, tothe busy passes through opencountrybeside ariver. This dayismuch easier than yesterday and 4½–5½ hours,13miles(21km) toTyndrum Day 4:Inverarnan .beinglascampsite.co.uk; Beinglas Farm Campsite INVERARNAN snaid Falls Snaid Burn,justabove theimpressive much older a choice the between camping supplies. groceries,drinksand licence shopselling with itsownbar,restaurant andanoff- up,complete Burn, isexceptionallywellset From Ardleish youleave theloch and For acoupleof milesnorth fromInver- Across theriver, inthevillage, there’s Ardlui Hotel , a300m-longcascadethatmakes avery couldbeagoodplacetostopfor . Thehuge Drover’s Inn Drover’s

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423

LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Hostel accommodation, including asmallshop (withanATM)station, and larich, have butthe village does arailway land Way. proximate halfwaypointof theWestHigh- towardsCrianlarich;right thisistheap- forest there’s a pathleadingdowntothe wards thetrees ahead.Atthestileinto road. military undertheA82tojoinanold then crosses a smalltunnelundertherailwaylineand on itleaves theriver andclimbsthrough along thewestbank.About 800mfurther theriverthe pathcrosses andcontinues comes more placid. After about3.5miles ley beginstoopenoutandtheriver be- to Crianlarich. Inashorttimetheval- attractive River Falloch mostof theway 424 to mains of facilities) onthe westbank.Pass there- the bridge there isawild campsite (no the River Fillanviaawoodenbridge. Beside overline andgoes theroad.Itthencrosses undertherailway 2 miles.Next,itcrosses the treesthen continuesthrough forabout More,offering goodviewsacrossto Ben also agreat placeforadrink. The There’s togodown noneed Crian- The roadclimbsoutof GlenFalloch to- From Inverarnan theroute followsthe The Wayclimbstotheleftfrom stile, notions thantohardfact. there’s nothingmuchtosee,andtalesofRob’susethemcanbeattributed more toromantic ofInversnaid. Bothsites menisnorth canbevisitedhidden fromtheduke’s fromtheWaybut isknownasRobRoy’sPrison.The victims, cavehave where kidnap kept heissupposed tohave Roy ensured himaplaceamongthecharacters ofpopularScottishhistory.The Hollywoodfilm the lawearnedhimareputation asaScottishRobinHood.Legends andromanticstorieshave against theduke. Tales ofhisgenerositytothepoorand daringescapesfromtheclutchesof home wasburntandhisfamilyevicted, hetooktothehillsbegin acampaignofrevenge ofMontrose,aformerally.Whenhiswas subsequentlybetrayedandoutlawedbytheDuke and hadeffectively becomeheadoftheclansoonafter heturned30. occasional raidstothelowlandsrustlecattle. HeownedmuchofthelandaroundInversnaid becameacattletrader,making for violentlawlessnessandrebellion so,unsurprisingly,Robert word Macgregor (1671–1734)wasgivenRobert thenicknameRoyasEnglishversion oftheGaelic ROY ROB Strathfillan Wigwams SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland Rod &Reel A natural rock cell in a crag about 1.5 miles north ofPtarmiganLodge,where heissaidtoA naturalrockcellinacragabout1.5milesnorth He wentbankruptin1711whenhisheaddrover abscondedwithhisannual profits, andhe

(largely shotinGlenNevis)addedacontemporary layertothelegend. ( % ruadh, St Fillan’s Priory 0870 1553255;www.syha.org.uk; dm£16) meaning‘red’, thankstohisshockofred hair. The Macgregor clanwasnotorious pubhasarestaurant and is

, turnleft andgoon ( % 01838-400251; www Crianlarich SYHA Crianlarich . bytheway.com; sitesfor2£5,cabins£8-10, .tyndrum.com; s/d£24/48) ers’ kitchen. vides excellentfacilities,including acamp- scottishheartlands.com; Tyndrum. more and,inlessthananhour,reaches tyre Farm. theA82once Theroute crosses £8) hotel.co.uk; s/d£28/48,bar out alongtheA82. GlasgowandFortWilliam,isstrung tween pointbe- ment andnowapopularstaging This village, originallyalead-miningsettle- TYNDRUM .sac.ac.uk/wigwams; wigwamsfor2£25) ( the Invervey Hotel. the Invervey camping gas. snacksand hottakeaway licence selling able roomsanda large bar. h walkers, includingpick-upanddrop-off. cafeteria-style andthebrisk, maps),anoff-licence sells displayed atthestore. dishes. Theweath of standard ties. Itoffers generous servings % , which isliable tobefloodedbybuspar- Strathfillan HouseB&B The Brodie’s Invervey Hotel Invervey By theway daily) 01838-400271; includesanoutdoorgear shop(that tourist office tourist ( h

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good food.The havedoesn’t akitchen, butthebarserves Thelatter inthebunkhouse. hotel orstay dominated bythe here thereally scenerybegins. mountainous Orchy, crossingtherailwayagainenroute; climbs graduallytopasstheentranceGlen ofdominates thissection thepath.Thepath that Dòrain(1074m),themountain Beinn Tyndrum youcrossaburnatthefootof ing withlovely views.Three milesfrom easywalk- road,affording the oldmilitary hour beyond,the Inveroran Hotel. food arethe of Bridge Orchy Hotel and,an the West Highland Way.Theonlyplaces for cross Rannoch Moor,the wildest section of thesurfaces, walkisnot butitdoes difficult the longest day of the walk.Mainly ongood You needtomakeanearly start forthis, 6½–8 hours,19miles(30.5km) HouseHotel Day 5:TyndrumtoKings lonelyplanet.com ( dm £15) ( £15/55/90) ( across the A82. Hotel is justoverHouse 1mileahead, about theWay.Kings 500moff station, base There’s a totheleft. lift of SkiCentre theGlen Coe thechair join theroadagain,youcansee wonderful viewdownintoGlenCoe. summit at445mandfromhere there’s a ofa real isolation.Acairnmarksthe sense be very wildandwindyup here andthere’s tions, istheonlyreal marker point.Itcan Bridge, about3milesbeyondtheplanta- There’s noshelter forabout7milesandBà andoutonto plantations comes atrack,climbinggently pastsome side astonebridge 400mwestof thehotel. There’s anothercampsite (nofacilities)be- path down to the secluded path downtothesecluded Moor.Rannoch TheWayfollowsagood where there are superbviews across to thetreesclimb through tomoorland,from bridge ontheright. free camp site (nofacilities)justover the a kitchen, andensuite rooms.There isa % % % The settlement ofThe settlement Bridge of Orchy is From TyndrumtheWaysoonrejoins As thepathdescends fromthemoorto The Wayfollowsaroad,which soonbe- Cross theoldbridge (builtin1750)and 01838-400208; www.scottish-selection.co.uk; dm/s/d 01838-400208; www.scottish-selection.co.uk; 01838-400548; www.westhighlandwaysleeper.co.uk; 01838-400220; www.inveroran.com;s/d , in the old station building, does have building,does , intheoldstation , where youcanlive itupinthe café and skiing museum atthe andskiingmuseum West Highland WaySleeper West Highland Bridge ofOrchyHotel Bridge SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS Way ••TheWestHighland Inveroran Hotel Inveroran Rannoch Moor Rannoch

£38/70). .

minor roadsintoKinlochleven. tortuous route, acrossthepipesthenalong the town’sexistence. Followthesomewhat aluminium smelter, theoriginalreason for but theywere forthenow-defunct essential Theymay notbeprettytric powerstation. carry water downtothetown’shydroelec- thepipesthat accesstrack andmeet ervoir you descendjointheBlackwater Res- Kinlochleven, hiddenbelowintheglen.As tothenorth. Nevis Ben able tosee especially onaclearday,andyoushould be the wholewalk.Theviewsare stunning, pointofis at548mandmarksthehighest you back. morning busfromFortWilliamtobring be full,andyou’ddependentonthefirst during summeranybuscouldwellever, ( to Glencoe p370 ), 11milesaway.How- get abus abedyoucouldconsidertaking andifyoucan’t on thepeaksinGlenCoe, George III’stroops,hencethename. of Cullodenasabarracksforthetroopsof market canoblige withcash-back onUK liam. There isn’t an ATM butthe super- before of onslaught FortWil- thesensory youback into‘civilisation’ This town eases KINLOCHLEVEN up the climb the roadtobeginasteep,zigzagging of here thepeakstarts atAltnafeadh. Buachaille Etive Mór( p370 ) andtheascent toyourleftis Theconicalmountain Coe. preciate sceneryof themountainous Glen wonderful vantage pointfromwhich toap- the A82toacarparkat Altnafeadh. Thisisa beside road,thengoes lows theoldmilitary where tobuyfoodenrouteandnoshelter. cracking descent toKinlochleven. There’sno- Staircaseup the Devil’s andalong,knee- day isnot long,butincludes the 330mclimb The superb mountain scenerycontinues. This 3–4 hours,9miles(14.5km) Kinlochleven to HouseHotel Day 6:Kings House Hotel Dating fromthe17thcentury, KINGS HOUSEHOTEL £35/60, bar The pathwindsgraduallydowntowards The hotel is popularwithclimbers busy From here andleaves theWayturnsright Hotel therouteFrom KingsHouse fol- Devil’s Staircase Devil’s

meals £8-12)

( % 01855-851259; www.kingy.com; s/d 01855-851259; www.kingy.com; was used after the Battle after theBattle wasused . Thecairnatthetop

Kings

425

LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS tent pitches. dorms withensuite facilities,andgrassed www.blackwaterhostel.co.uk; h £12) Leven Rd;mainsto£8; Rd;s/d£40/70, .co.uk; Riverside reveal fine views of Ben Nevis ahead. After Nevis reveal fineviews of Ben occasional breaksplantations; inthetrees and aninformation panel. rainn, which isnothingmore thana bench After 1mileyouemerge atBlar a’Chao- into conifer 2milesfurtheron. plantations the route continuesgently downhilland buildings at you reach theruinsof oldfarm several point (335m),which comesshortlybefore glen ahead.Climbgraduallytothe highest farupthewide the open;here youcansee road,outin woodland totheoldmilitary posite theschool. Thepathclimbsthrough out of op- townandturnoff to theright, near the endof the Way. and nowheretobuyfooduntil GlenNevis, that There’slittleshelter, include BenNevis. terrainvaried andwith spectacular views day isoneofThe final the hardest, through 5½–7 hours,14miles(22.5km) William toFort Day 7:Kinlochleven inthebar.breakfasts (£4to£7)are served the cabinshave fourbunkbeds.Campers’ The campsite issmallandwell-grassed; ( Centre bankers’ cards.The 426 £55/80) William Rd;sitesfor2£10,cabins/d£20/24,B&B music someevenings. tastefully furnishedroomsandfeatures live nating thevillage. the incongruouslymassive buildingsdomi- feats whileyouenjoyabigpizza. watch peopleperformingamazingvertical plus anormalclimbingwallsoyoucan world’s largest indoorice-climbingwall, in partof the theformersmelter, houses lage store % Tailrace Inn The Way leads on and up, through moreThe Wayleadson andup,through From Kinlochleven followtheroadnorth Ice Factor Macdonald Hotel &LochsideCampsite Hotel Macdonald Blackwater Hostel &Campsite Hostel Blackwater Both the Mon-Fri) has well-maintained, pine-panelled haswell-maintained, MORELONG-DISTANCE WALKS••TheGreat GlenWay 01855-831539; isatthenorthernendof thevillage.

( % are opendaily. is worth a look to make sense of isworthalooktomake sense 01855-831663; Linnhe

( Co-op %

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01855-831100; www.ice-factor.co.uk; %

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Aluminium Story Visitor Aluminium StoryVisitor Lab Rd;sitesfor2£10,dm

bar meals£8-14)

( Rd; admissionfree; % . Fromhere 01855-831253; has vil- ,

land Waytoolongandserious. Way soundstoobusyandtheSouthernUp- other LDPs, especiallyiftheWestHighland may beinterested insomeof Scotland’s If youare enthusiastyou along-distance WALKS MORE LONG-DISTANCE restaurantstown’s several andbars. celebrationinoneof the an end-of-walk edge of town,butyoucan lookforwardto but ratheranonymousroadjunctiononthe a bitof ananticlimax;justasignbythebusy land Way,like manyotherBritishLDPs, is William ( p362 ). Theendof theWestHigh- Continue alongtheroadsidedownintoFort large touristoffice (withtoilets)ontheright. TurnlefthereGlen Nevis. andsoonthere’s a fore theroadthatrunsthrough you meet William, passingasmallgraveyard justbe- (see of ‘theBen’ p360 ). which couldmake foranascent agoodbase down tothevillage of ( GlenNevis p363 ), fillsyourview.Asidetrackleads Nevis Ben Across thevalleyhugeNevis. bulkof low theforest trackdowntowardsGlen by fire. have partlyvitrified(turnedtoglass) been Deardail a few miles,asigndirects youtonearby There isnoshortage of accommodation; volved ismainly atthenortheastern end. relatively small amount of climbingin- have areasonably walk.The comfortable spread thisover fourorfive daysandyou’ll and tracks. an oldrailwayformationandquiet roads towpath, Canal’s the historicCaledonian finehills.Itfollowslongstretchesseveral of perb Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, Loch Ness and areness, ontheMorayFirth.Inbetween su- toInver- Nevis, Fort William,belowBen this withamagnificentlyscenicroute from Glen Way(GGW)takes fulladvantage of of Scotland,criesoutforanLDP. TheGreat fromtherest theHighlands almost severs The Great trench Glen,thewide,deep that THE GREAT GLENWAY Continue alongthepathtowardsFort A littlefurtheron,crossastileandfol- The GGWis73miles(117km) long; , anIronAge fortwithwallsthat lonelyplanet.com Dún Inverness. 168 miles(270km),linkingGlasgowand the opportunityforareally longwalkof Way( the WestHighland p418 ), sothere’s the Great thetwotowns. Glenbetween and there through are regular busservices inburgh, Glasgowandmajor English cities, fromEd- bybusandtrainservices served 881266; Nevis annual accommodation brochure and a 5121; Drumnadrochit. gan, FortAugustus,Invermoriston and Gairlochy, Lag- through the GGWpasses lonelyplanet.com and thefamousStrathspey Steam Railway. allowstimeforvisitingdistilleries or seven to dothewholelotinfive days,butsix is 14.3miles(23km)oneway.It possible 65 miles(105km)long;theTomintoul Spur TheWayis tothemountains. from thesea prefer towalkdowntheriver or totravel either direction, dependingonwhetheryou marked withthistle-hexagonlogos. TheWayiswellsignposted andway- right. lands) provides anattractive walkinitsown villageTomintoul (thehighest intheHigh- Aspurroute, fromBridgeBay. of Avon to erlour, Craigellachie, Fochabers andSpey Bridge, Grantown-on-Spey,Cromdale,Ab- Boatof through Garten,It passes Nethy tions, forest roadsandquietruralroads. makes of use footpaths, oldrailwayforma- followstheriverclosely formanymilesand coast.TheWay at Buckie,ontheNorthSea andtheother looked bytheCairngorms, side WayhasoneendatAviemore, over- river andoneof itsmostscenic.The Spey- The River SpeyisScotland’ssecond-longest WAYTHE SPEYSIDE site Way, check theofficial for accommodationbookings. & Loch Ness, 1:50,000mapsNo26 Landranger ground informationinahandyformat.OS Way ReadersRucksack guide The oftails accommodationandservices. Fort Williamisatthenorthernendof Fort WilliamandInverness are well The The SpeysideWaycanbefollowed in For up-to-date informationabout the

(www.greatglenway.com)

byJacquetta Megarry includesback- www.visitscotland.com) cover theroute.

www.speysideway.org) Speyside Way Ranger Service Speyside WayRanger 34 Fort Augustus Fort VisitScotland is the best contact isthebestcontact , which includes de- Great GlenWayweb- Great publishes afree The Great Glen

and41 ( %

Inverness ( % 0845 225 MORE LONG-DISTANCE WALKS••TheSpeysideWay 01340- Ben the route of theWay. 36 1:50,000 mapsNo28 OSLandranger ing countrysideyou’llneed of interest. Forcoverage of thesurround- route, showsfacilitiesandsomefeatures passing through placesassociatedpassing with the through on aroute of great varietyand interest, disfarne (inNorthumberland, England) St Cuthbert’s Way linksMelrose and Lin- WAYST CUTHBERT’S finish andintermediate towns transport connectionstoandfrom thestart, area concerned.There are goodpublic & Linlithgow 1:50,000 mapsNo59 and invaluablecompanion.OSLandranger best-known walkers, willbeanexcellent Brown, bothalocalandoneof Scotland’s ings. that canhelpwithaccommodationbook- forthefivemaps andcontacts touristoffices has plentyof information, detailed useful FCP’s website atwww.fifecoastalpath.co.uk at leastfive daystogothefulldistance.The saving thebestuntillast;allow place tostart, in thenortheast,NorthQueensferry isthe manyfinewoodlands. through placesandthe route passes rocks inseveral baskonthe the rockyshores, commonseals are fascinating, birdlife isplentifulalong ing villages of andCrail Elie,Pittenweem of theFCP.highlights Thetraditionalfish- and alongthesubtlyindented coastare the changing acrosstheFirthof vistas Forth a bus,trainorcar. theconstantly However, the FCPare fromthewindowof better seen age, andafew less-than-lovely stretches of prints of itsindustrialandmaritime herit- miles (135km). Firth of Tay of inthenorth,adistance 81 Forth inthesouth,withTay Bridge, onthe linking NorthQueensferry, ontheFirthof pathsporates these inawaymarked route paths. TheFife Path Coastal (FCP)incor- much of itaccessiblevialong-established haveit does ascenic and variedcoastline, Although Fife isn’tamajor walkingarea, THE FIFECOASTAL PATH map public transportguide. Harvey’s 1:40,000 With themostwalker-friendly section Fife’s landscapebears coastal theim- Grantown &Aviemore, Speyside Way, Along the Fife Coastal Path and 66 the official mapof theofficial the St Andrews, Elgin &Dufftown Elgin Edinburgh which alsoshow . byHamish 65 cover the Falkirk

and 427

LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright thetermsandconditions onoursiteforalongerwayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasierforyoutouse,access tothischapterisnotdigitally Tomake nine Way( p261 ) atKirkYetholm andthe Lindisfarne. Theroute linkswiththePen- days tofitinwithsafe crossingtimesto toallowfiveyou willprobablyneed orsix miles (101km)includes1200mof ascent; of toLindisfarne. Thedistance sands 62.5 inspirational experienceof crossing the bert’s lifetime journeyandfinish withthe crosslogo.with theWay’sownCeltic route iswell waymarked, mostprominently The the Pilgrim’sRoute acrossthesands. orby cross toLindisfarnebythecauseway quiet countryroads.Atlowtideyoucan farmland. Itfollowsfootpaths, tracksand ers andTeviot, Tweed andtraverses fertile Park, of followssections thebeautifulRiv- HillsinNorthumberlandNational Cheviot theEildonHillsand Itcrosses saint. life andministryof the7th-centuryCeltic 428 By starting atMelroseBy starting you’llfollowCuth- MORELONG-DISTANCE Way WALKS••StCuthbert’s ficial guide, VisitScotland Borders VisitScotland guidebook andtheHarvey map. Smith andRonShaw, adetailed comprises 1:40,000 map upon-Tweed times. tourist office tourist ( kirk, maps are No73 Portpatrick orCockburnspath. walk fromEdaleinDerbyshire toeither thus makingpossibleagrandlong-distance Southern UplandWayatMelrose ( p408 ), .visitscottishborders.com) farne isavailable from tion about safe crossingtimestoLindis- % For accommodationbookingscontact The relevant OS Landranger 1:50,000The relevant OSLandranger 01668-282123) 74 Kelso &Coldstream

, whilethere’s alsotheHarvey ( % St Cuthbert’s Way St Cuthbert’s Way andisdisplayedthere atall 01289-330733). Peebles, Galashiels &Sel- and

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lonelyplanet.com SCOTLAND LONG-DISTANCE PATHS

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LONG-DISTANCE PATHS LONG-DISTANCE SCOTLAND SCOTLAND 429

More Walks in Scotland

The variety of walking areas in Scotland is immense. The remote island groups of Orkney MORE WALKS IN SCOTLAND and Shetland (the Northern Isles) are as far north as you can go in Britain, and offer the finest coast walking anywhere in the country. ‘Rocky landscape’ takes on a new meaning in the far northwest. Here, vast areas of crags, slabs and cliffs are interspersed with lochs, waterfalls and distinctively shaped peaks. In the long chain of islands to the west you’ll find myriad peaks and enough superb coastal walks to fill a lifetime of exploring. The Southwest and Borders is all about big rolling ridges, rounded summits and walks with varied historical themes. A brief outline of the best of these makes up this chapter. For more ideas, chase up Lonely Planet’s Walking in Scotland. MORE WALKS IN SCOTLAND

HIGHLIGHTS

Saying hello to Orkney’s famous sea stack, the Old Man of Hoy ( p430 ) Walking along the pristine beach at Sandwood Bay ( p430 ) en route to the towering cliffs at Cape Wrath Revelling in the wild, rugged mountainscapes of Harris from the summit of the Western Isles’ highest peak, Clisham ( p431 ) Imagining yourself following Richard Hannay, hero of The 39 Steps, along the John Buchan Way ( p431 ) MORE WALKS IN SCOTLAND 40 outings,fromshortstrollstodaywalks. ney Scotland scribed infullLonelyPlanet’s the islands.Allwalksmentionedare de- linkferries.co.uk) capital, Lerwick, tothe Lerwick, capital, walking anywhere, headnorthwestfromthe Forthefinestcoastal lighthouse. Flugga birdsandMuckle thesea is amust,tosee its through northerly partof andawalk Britain, land 5 mapsNo (OS)1:50,000Landranger Survey Ordnance tion listsandtransportcontacts. coast and fromAberdeen. to theislands, fromScrabster onthenorth Unst &Fetlar mapsareLandranger No1 planning avisit.Therelevant OS1:50,000 Mainland www.visitshetland.com) VisitOrkney are sightings almostguaranteed.puffin has awaymarked walk,where coastal rocky islets.Thesmallerisleof Westray narrow inletsand deep past rugged cliffs, Mainland, milesof goodwalkingtake you Hoy the137m-high stack, sea tallest walktoEurope’s popular forthecliff-top rational walkingdestinations. of andyouhave summerdaylight twoinspi- birdsandendlesshours sites, countless sea walking. Addaprofusion of archaeological for walkers –someof finestcoastal Britain’s remote. Theislandsdoshare anattraction Shetland islessfertile andmore rugged and cattle. Across60milesof AtlanticOcean, green, withlushfieldscroppedbysheep and waters of thenarrowPentland Firth,isvery mainland’s northcoastbytheturbulent distinctive. fromtheOrkney, separated groups of OrkneyandShetland –are quite venience, the Northern Isles–theisland they’reAlthough lumpedtogether forcon- ISLES THE NORTHERN 430 .com) easy walking. sceneryandamazingly and rugged coastal and to Orkney – Northern Isles Orkney –Northern The NorthLink Ferries NorthLink In . On the rugged west coast of. Ontherugged westcoast Orkney byFelicity Martin succinctlydescribes MORE WALKS IN SCOTLAND •• The Northern Isles MOREWALKSINSCOTLAND ••TheNorthern willget youstarted withaccommoda- and 7 Orkney Shetland Eshaness , whilepocket-sized .

Hermaness National Nature Reserve Hermaness NationalNature Orkney –Southern Isles ( operates most of the services operates mostof theservices the largest islandof Hoyis % and3 VisitShetland for spectacularly colourful forspectacularly island of Unst 01856-875056;

is the best contact for isthebestcontact ( % Shetland – Northern Shetland –Northern 0845 6000449;www.north Muckle Roepeninsula Muckle , 6

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( % Walks –Ork- www.visitorkney

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tre & Loch Shin .visithighlands.com) the 10 dranger 1:50,000mapsNo9 Strang. Thearea iscovered byOSLan- Northwest Highlands Club’s(SMC)Scottish Mountaineering SkiagBridgetween andKylesku. The usualapproach isfromtheA894be- the centrepiece of anotherfirst-class walk. attheheadof Loch Glencoul,is Loch Beag Easa’ChualAluinn Kinlochbervie. the bayfromroadatBlairmore, near minibus fromnearDurness)orwalkinto wood Bay Wrath,includingincomparable Cape Oldshoremorecoast thanthatbetween and (612m). easilyaccessible and serrated, tioning are icon of thenorthwest.Alsoworthmen- The massive tower three summits.synt, comprises separate star-shaped exhilarating dayinlimestonecountry.The its satellite Tongue. Mighty graces theviewsouthfromvillage of Its neighbour, shapely DurnessandTongue.north coastbetween Munro, of remoteness.sense Themostnortherly of walks,magnificentviewsandakeen and glensinthecountry. of thewildestandmostrugged mountains agoodshareand thenorthcoast,contains northwest UllapoolSutherland, between populatedScotland’s mostsparsely quarter, FAR NORTHWEST Including Skye ence isthe SMC’s For allthewalksnoted, the bestsinglerefer- island. Here of isaselection what’sonoffer. spiced bytheexperience of beingonan provide awealthof first-class walking, of thewestcoast islandsoff these Several THE HEBRIDES Strathnaver, The definitive guidetotheregion isthe waterfall inBritain, Probably thehighest There are few, ifany,finerstretches of peaksoffer variety animmense Several

( % Durness 01571-844330; www.assynt.co.uk; Lochinver) . Start fromthecape(viaferry. Start and Ben Hope

tourist office tourist Conival Quinag Canisp . Contact the . Contact . formore information. 15 Ben More Assynt Ben More , withadropof 200mto (927m),overlooks the (847m), (988m)provide along, (808m),above Loch As- Loch Assynt The Islands of Scotland by DJ Bennett andT byDJBennett Suilven ( % Ben Loyal Assynt Visitor Cen- Visitor Assynt (731m)isthe 01971-511259; www Cul Mor Cul lonelyplanet.com CapeWrath, and16 (998m)and Stac Pollaidh (764m), (849m) Lairg Sand- The or

office accommodation and facilities, contact accommodation andfacilities,contact Forup-to-date informationaboutessential. The Islandsof Scotland includingSkye Muck&Canna Rum, Eigg, so aspringvisitisrecommended. at Kinloch. TheRummidges are ferocious, tion ishostel-style inthecastle,oratent Mallaig three Accommoda- timesweekly. owner. ACalMac ferry linkstheislandwith builtbyaneccentricformerisland Castle, complete without aninspectionof Kinloch another possibility,andnotriptoRumis shval (781m). Askival (812m),Trailival(702m)andAin- summits are tempting –Hallival (723m), lutely first-class thenamesof walk; even the of name,isanabso-mountains thesame of itsCuillins,lessformidablethanSkye’s Thetraversethe island’ssoleinhabitants. age (SNH),andits30-or-so are employees Mallaig, isownedbyScottishNaturalHerit- Mull dranger 1:50,000mapsNo48 at thePier. operated by Lochaline andFishnish.Botharebetween A smallferry theSoundof crosses Mull to Tobermory,theisland’sprincipaltown. southwest of thevillage of Carsaig. andarches especiallythecliffs fine indeed, Ghaoithe (766m).Thesouthcoastisvery Talaidharound Beinn (761m)andDunda centredworth exploringincludethose other groupsof hillswithlongridge walks More, of Ben East havoc withcompasses. outside Skye,where magneticrockplays More (966m),theonlyislandMunro Ben by anarrowstrait, ous, with acluster of rugged hills toppedby in thegroup, Harris ofstronghold Gaelicculture. Oftheislands the rest of Scotland–peaceful, relaxed anda inthesouth, areto Barra a worldapartfrom (209km) fromtheButtof inthenorth Lewis lonelyplanet.com ( .com; Tobermory; % % The OS Landranger 1:50,000mapNo39 The OSLandranger The wildandrugged northwestcoastis The These walksareThese covered bytheOSLan- The main ferry service goes fromOban goes The mainferry service inLochaber fromMorvern Separated The 0870 5650000; 01687-462026; www.snh.org.uk) and49

( % Isle of Rum Western Isles Western 0870 7200625; Oban&East Mull h Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian

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and 31 contact the contact mine of information. Formore information and Berwick-upon-Tweed. (24km) more variety,there’s awonderful15-mile with asuperb12th-centuryabbey.Foryet ders AbbeysWay The65-mile(105km) and Broughton. walk,linksPeebles low-level essentially guide 1:50,000 mapscover thearea. TheSMC OSLandranger ern UplandWay.Several eastern of andwestern sections theSouth- onthe shortcircularwalks based detail Walks Section Short Way the Eastern Section of TheSouthern Upland available; twobooklets– Borders, [email protected]; 26CromwellSt) [email protected]; www.visitscottishborders.com). & Loch Seaforth, are mostuseful No14 maps, those 1:50,000 ris. Ofsixrelevant OSLandranger The 13.5-mile(22km) however.Borders mountains, thantackling views. Furthereastare est, offering afinedayoutandmagnificent Hills, of which ern UplandWay( p408 ) are the totheSouth- In thefarsouthwestandclose Galloway THE SOUTHWEST&BORDERS ( areist offices in Themaintour- (Barra). Uist) andCastlebay ris), andfromObantoLochboisdale (South on theIsleof SkyetoTarbert (SouthHar- fromUig Ullapool toStornoway(Lewis), beaches, oneof which isthelocalairport. clutch of hillstopping300mandsomefine mainland hills.Tiny hasasplendid Barra challenges greater thanmanymuch higher Mhòr(620m),offering (606m) andBeinn and theimpressive twinpeaksof Hecla there are magnificent Atlantic-coastbeaches 799m).On Clisham (AnCliseam; South Uist waterfall, Coomb White Borders Information Service 253862; % A booklet, There’s much more towalkinginthe CalMac ferries departthemainlandfrom 0845 2255121;www.visithebrides.com) and

Southern Uplands www.visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk) Barra & South Uist outlinesthewiderange of walks coast path Grey Mare’s Tail Mare’s Grey Southern UplandWayWestern (822m),aswellthebeautiful Dumfries tourist office tourist Dumfries Walking Guidetothe Scottish connectsfourtowns,each Merrick 22 between StAbb’s between Head Stornoway Benbecula &South Uist –describeinsome (843m)isthehigh- Hart Fell Hart John BuchanWay . byKen Andrew isa

. Short Walkson Short (

% ( % and (808m)and 0870 6080404; 01851-703088;

onHar- ( andthe % Tarbert Tarbert Tarbert 01387- , an Bor- 431

MORE WALKS IN SCOTLAND IN WALKS MORE MORE WALKS IN SCOTLAND the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright thetermsandconditions onoursiteforalongerwayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasierforyoutouse,access tothischapterisnotdigitally Tomake 432 MOREWALKSINSCOTLAND lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com MORE WALKSINSCOTLAND

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